The Magic of Rhythm
by LegendOfMegan
Summary: When the Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts is invaded by Death Eaters at the start of Harry's sixth year, the Golden Trio makes unlikely friendships with those in possession of great rhythm, and Snape discovers unnerving facts about his past actions as well as the Dark Lord's regime.
1. New Students

_**Hello everyone. This is a story I have been pondering for quite sometime, but was nervous about publishing due to it being my first Harry Potter Fanfiction. Obviously I am not JK Rowling, who has not published as much as about the Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts as I would like her to. For the purpose of this story, WADA is set in the United States, not in Great Britain. Enjoy.**_

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The Golden Trio approached the Gryffindor table, preparing for the start of term feast. The first of September marks a magical day for wizarding children around the world, as it is the start of fall term. As the three took their seats, the sorting of first years began. The Sorting Hat was placed upon its stool, and began to sing.

 _"Though I may be torn and old,_

 _I've seen things worth so much gold._

 _I've sat on the heads of each great witch and wizard_

 _And placed them in the house where their greatness flickered._

 _Brave and courageous Gryffindor, those who have lots of nerve_

 _But sometimes they don't realize when its best to just observe._

 _Hufflepuffs are kind and clean_

 _Impossible for them to be mean._

 _Ravenclaw full of smart and wit_

 _They can solve any trick._

 _Sly and cunning Slytherin,_

 _Don't let the dark reputation defer you_

 _From this house of great ambition."_

Overall, only nine students were sorted into Gryffindor this year, four girls and five boys. Slytherin had received the most first years, with thirteen. But that was not surprising considering the times. After the sorting was over, Dumbledore clicked his spoon lightly on his glass, and a hush of silence fell over the Great Hall.

"Very good evening to you all. To those of you who are returning, welcome back. To those of you joining us for the first time, I hope you have been settling nicely. I have a few start of term announcements I wish to announ…"

He stopped suddenly as a teacher many recognized had burst in and whispered something into his ear. Dumbledore spoke in a hushed voice briefly, then Snape strode quickly out of the Great Hall.

"Pardon the interruption. The gentleman you just saw was who you previously knew as your Potions Professor, but as of this year, Professor Snape is your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Potions will be taken over by Professor Slughorn," Dumbledore said, as Horace stood and the students clapped politely, "Now, as all of you returning students have already been informed, travelling to the Forbidden Forest without the company of our Gate Keeper, Hagrid, is strictly forbidden, unless you wish to die a most awful death. Finally, as it has just been made known to me, we will be having some new students join us at some point in the early morning from the Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts in the United States. Your head of house will be making rounds to expand dormitories so that we can accommodate them, so please do try your best to make it easy for them. But enough from me, let the feast begin," he concluded with a snap, causing the plates to become full of heaping piles of food.

There was hushed murmuring as the feast carried out, Hermione and Ron were over speculating theories as to why there would be new students, Harry looked past Dumbledore and noticed that many usual faces, Snape, Flitwick, Hagrid and McGonagall included, were nowhere to be found at the staff table.

"I'm telling you, Ron. Something drastic must have happened at the school. The Wizarding Academy for the Dramatic Arts is one of the most isolated schools in the Wizarding World. It and the Euro-Glyph School of Extraordinary Languages are the only two schools that students can't study abroad at and that you can't find on a map," Hermione said, fiddling with her pudding spoon.

"I don't know, Hermione. I think it could be Dumbledore's way of exposing us to new schools, after the disaster that the Triwizard Tournament was fourth year."

"But Dumbledore said that he had only just been informed that the students were coming here from Professor Snape. Something bad must have happened, I'm sure of it," Hermione concluded.

The professors had still not made an appearance at the feast when Harry and Ron left the Great Hall. As they made their way back to the Gryffindor Common Room, they discussed various theories as to why the student body of the Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts when Harold Josephson, a second year, began speaking.

"You mean you haven't heard? The Death Eaters invaded WADA! They took it over, and the students and staff who lived were forced to evacuate. People say they wanted a new base far away from Dumbledore, because everyone knows You-Know-Who is afraid of Dumbledore," he rambled, pushing ahead of the two boys to catch up with his friends.

"Voldemort is trying to take his regime onto an international scale," Harry declared.

"He's already done that though Harry, there are very prominent pureblood American families who backed Voldemort's regime in the past, and I'm certain they're doing it again. Though it makes sense as to why they would pick that school as the base, I bet Dumbledore hasn't even been there before because of its isolation," she said.

It made sense to Harry. But why would Voldemort suddenly be fleeing the thought of Dumbledore, if he was as powerful as all the soon-to-be Death Eaters at Hogwarts made him out to be?

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Hogwarts was busting at the seams with activity the following morning. The start of classes had been postponed until tomorrow, as the new students from America were arriving today.

"I wonder how many there will be," Ron pondered as he and Harry sat down at the Gryffindor table.

"I heard there's going to be a sorting for them, they're supposedly going to be staying here for the whole year," Hermione said, sitting down next to Ron.

Breakfast was more delayed than usual, as the platters had not turned over to reveal their House Elf cooked deliciousness as they normally were this late in the morning.

"I just want to bloody eat," Ron complained.

Dumbledore soon entered from the side door, followed by none of the other professors as he often was at the start of meals.

"I apologize in the delay of your meal, but I think it is rather rude to eat when you are welcoming guests into your presence. As I am sure you have gathered knowledge, our friends to the west at the Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts suffered the unimaginable last night, when Death Eaters invaded their school in the height hour of their welcome feast. Magical blood was spilt, some lived, some died. Serious injuries were inflicted, and some were able to walk away unscathed. Now, all I ask of you is to be welcoming towards our students, and not to pry. What they have faced and the things they have seen is something I wish upon none of you," Dumbledore concluded.

The was a brief pause, then the doors to the Great Hall opened. An older, limping gentleman led a band of about ninety students, whom lined up by the stool McGonagall had brought out. McGonagall stood with the Hat in her hand, and it belted out the same song it had the previous night. As they trickled in, Harry noticed that the older students displayed a larger number of injuries than the younger students. Some looked as though they had not changed their clothes. Their robes were singed, some limped and hobbled, others had obvious scratches and burns. Ravenclaw gained the most of the WADA students, and Slytherin the least, gaining only one.

There was an obvious divide between the Hogwarts and the Wizarding Academy students at first, but things started warming up. Harry and Ron found themselves talking with two boys, Leviticus and Adrian Batton from New Mexico. Hermione and Neville were facing backwards, talking with a boy at the Hufflepuff table, Phoebus Pote from Pennsylvania. Luna was talking to Clarissa McAndrews, also from Pennsylvania.

Even the staff members were mingling. The majority of the Hogwarts professors had followed in the students from the Wizarding Academy; Snape, Sprout, and Flitwick to name a few. There was the obvious weight of unanswered questions that hindered both sides from fully communicating, but overall things looked to be promising.

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 _ **Hope you've enjoyed the introduction to this story. Chapter two to come soon. R &R!**_


	2. Professor Snape

**_Hello everyone! Here is chapter two, enjoy!_**

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Defense Against the Dark Arts with Snape was interesting to say the least. As a result of Hogwarts' student body nearly doubling overnight, classes were split up a little differently this year. Half of each House was in class together, making class sizes to be about thirty kids each. Classrooms and dormitories had been expanded to accommodate Hogwarts' new size, but the increased number of students was still a foreign feeling to all.

Gryffindor had gained twenty-five new students from the Wizarding Academy, four of which were in sixth year with Harry. The two boys were Leviticus and Adrian, whom Harry and Ron had been speaking with at dinner the night before. They were fine enough boys, mischievous, but kind. They were half-blood, their mother was a witch who had attended Ilvermorny and their father was a muggle who worked as a toy factory manager. They had a little sister named Sabrina, she was ten and they doubted she would get an invitation to attend a wizarding school. Apparently, she showed sure signs of being a squib.

Ravenclaw had gained the most WADA students with forty-nine, seven for each year. Clarissa McAndrews, the black-haired girl Luna had been talking to the night prior, was in Harry's class that morning. Per the knowledge of Hermione, McAndrews was one of the most prominent pure-blood families in the United States. Last night, Clarissa appeared to be one of the students most impacted by the Battle of WADA. She was one of the students who had walked in with singed robes, and even today there was evidence of the cuts and bruises of battle on her body. Luna said that she hadn't talked much at dinner the night before, and that she seemed to be thinking about something a million miles away.

Hufflepuff gained thirteen students. Phoebus Pote, the boy whom Neville and Hermione had talked to the previous night, was the only new sixth year added to Hufflepuff. Hermione was thrilled to learn that he too was Muggle-born, and said that they had bonded over their blood status and a new program on television, which they had to explain the concept of to Neville. She claimed that he seemed like a smart boy, but he denied it, saying that the best in their year and the Wizarding Academy was Clarissa, the girl sorted into Ravenclaw.

Slytherin had gained a single student whom Leviticus and Adrian had claimed no one liked much because he seemed to be "Pre-Death Eater Scum", judging from the things he spouted at school and how he reacted to WADA being invaded in an almost gleeful manner. Thomas Watkins was his name, a pure-blood and a fifth year.

The class was abuzz prior to Professor Snape walking in, and immediately silenced when he did.

"Now," Snape said, sweeping across the floor of the classroom, "can anyone tell me the purpose of the Protego Horribilis charm?"

Hermione and Clarissa's hands went up at the same time.

"Yes Miss…" Snape said, looking at Clarissa.

"McAndrews, sir. Protego Horribilis is a protective charm that is often used in place of the Shield Charm during battle. While stronger than Protego and Protego Duo, it is not as strong as Protego Totalum or Protego Maxima. The charm protects the caster and the area around them from any sort of Dark Magic, with the exception of the Killing Curse," Clarissa answered.

"Five points to Ravenclaw," Snape declared, seemingly unmoved, "Turn to page one-hundred and ninety-five," he murmured.

There was the shuffle of books, and students opened their N.E.W.T level Defense books to a chapter titled _Stimulus._

"Mr. Potter, perhaps _you_ could tell us the function of the Stimulus hex," Snape questioned, glaring at Harry.

Harry swallowed, remembering the time last year during Occlumency lessons that he had unintentionally used the hex on Snape.

"Well, sir. It does what you would think. It stings your opponent. If it lands on their face, it causes it to swell up like an allergic reaction. If it hits another part of the body, it produces welts on the skin," Harry said.

"The _Stimulus_ hex is one of the most inconvenient and debilitating hexes in battle," Snape declared, "All it takes is to be unprepared and unprotective of your face, and suddenly your eyes have swollen shut and you're being taken captive by the Dark Lord's forces."

Snape ordered the students to find a partner, with one practicing Protego Horribilis and the other practicing Stimulus. Harry and Hermione partnered together, same with Ron and Neville. Leviticus and Adrian were partners, as were Phoebus and Clarissa. Neville and a Hufflepuff student were the only two who had to be sent to the hospital wing during the class. However, that didn't stop Snape from barking out corrections.

"Miss McAndrews if you would please lower your elbow when casting, you might look less like a bird trying to flee from battle," Snape grumbled as he walked past Clarissa and Phoebus.

"I think I've fought enough Death Eaters to know how to hold my wand for myself thanks," Clarissa declared, causing the pairs around her to stop and observe the conversation, many jaws looking as if they could sink no lower to the floor.

"Detention!" Snape snapped.

"Detention for what, exactly? Having an opinion based on battle ground experience?" she sassed.

Snape opened his mouth, but was cut off, "You don't scare me, Professor Snape. I have seen things more terrifying than you will ever be, so this act of intimidation you are trying to get across to me is not going to work."

There was a shocked pause, and then mumbling across the classroom as nearly everyone had stopped practicing their incantations.

"You just bought yourself a month's detention, McAndrews. Thirty points from Ravenclaw," Snape refuted, turning away.

"Don't expect to see me at any of them, Professor," Clarissa concluded.

Snape paused, then continued to walk away. Students began reiterating their spells, but no one could shake the fact that some _girl_ from a school whom no one knew the location of had just _sassed_ Professor Snape.

Snape stood towards the front of the classroom for the remainder of the class, blood boiling. In all his years of teaching, he had never encountered such defiance from a student. He wasn't sure if he should be furious or impressed that a student finally had a little bit of nerve to stand up to him.

Snape observed the girl, curious. He began using Legilimency, catching the site of only a few memories; Clarissa and the boy across from her as small children playing on a piano, Clarissa yelling at who seemed to be her father in front of company, Clarissa comforting a younger girl, perhaps a sister, the night before the younger girl was bound for Wizarding school, and finally the rubble of what appeared to be the Wizarding Academy's auditorium. Then, he was shut out of the girl's mind.

Pursing his lips, he squinted at the girl. It was rare that a witch of this age already be so advanced in Occlumency that she can ward off penetration while being focused on a completely different spell.

Class soon ended, and students began shuffling out. Clarissa stormed past Snape, her shaggy, blonde haired friend following closely behind her.

"Filthy blood-traitor," Thomas snorted to Draco as the pair strode ahead of them.

Harry and Ron bolted down the hall to catch up to Phoebus and Clarissa, who were clearly arguing.

"…bus I don't care! I don't care anymore, that man was trying to intimidate me, he was trying to bully me. He tried to make me not feel welcome in the class that I excel most in, and I'm not having _any_ of it. That mean ol' bat can go rot in Azkaban for all I care," Clarissa claimed.

"Claire, you can't just go running your mouth to every professor that corrects you," Phoebus explained, "You're going to get yourself so far deep in detentions that you'll never be able to do what you enjoy anymore."

"Like I said Phoebus, I don't care. He was an asshole and I wasn't having it."

"Well I personally thought it was bloody brilliant," Ron declared behind the pair, "Snape's a foul git, it's about time someone had the nerve to put him in his place."

"Someone tried to use Legilimency on me afterwards, wouldn't shock me if it was him," Clarissa said, rolling her eyes.

"You were able to block out Snape's attempts to read your mind?" Harry asked, astonished.

"Yes, if it was him. It's not that hard. We have been trained at the Wizarding Academy in Legilimency and Occlumency since we were first years. It's one of the Dark Lord's most valuable assets you know, being able to torture those he loathes most into madness," Clarissa declared, "Professor Larson, our Defense teacher, wanted us to be as protected as we could possibly be. He was one of the few people who believed in the Dark Lord's return."

"Well, maybe he should come and take over for Snape. I'm certain anybody will be a better Defense teacher than that slimy ol' git," Ron said.

"He's dead," Clarissa murmured, "Death Eaters got him last night while he was warding off the area with the first years' escape portkeys inside."

She turned quickly on her heel, striding away. Phoebus followed, leaving Ron and Harry in their tracks.

"Well, what other outcome did you expect, asking about their teachers?" Hermione asked from behind the two boys, "Only four staff members from the Wizarding Academy survived. Apparently, many sacrificed themselves in order to protect the students."

And with that, she pushed past Ron and Harry, making her way to Charms class.

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 _ **Thanks for reading! Please review!**_


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